2021 Law Firm Diversity Award - DRI
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2021 Law Firm Diversity Award
CRITERIA
Established in 2002, the DRI Law Firm Diversity Award will annually recognize the DRI member
law firm that has achieved outstanding diversity goals.
Nominees should be a law firm that:
1. Has achieved significant success in the area of law department management while
also demonstrating a commitment to increase diversity within and outside their
legal departments.
2. Demonstrated commitment to diversity as evidenced by a formal diversity plan
committed to achievement, sensitivity and receptivity of diversity issues including
promotion of its minority and women attorneys or volunteers.
All nominations should be submitted to Tom Foley, Senior Director of Membership at
tfoley@dri.org, by July 1, 2021.
2021 Law Firm Diversity Award Nomination Form Page 12021 DRI LAW FIRM DIVERSITY
NOMINATION FORM
Please email a completed version of this form to the attention of Tom Foley, DRI’s Senior
Director of Membership at tfoley@dri.org. All nominations must be received by July 1, 2021
for consideration. Questions? Please call 312.698.6237 for additional information about the
award.
LAW FIRM NAME: ________________________________________________________
MANAGING PARTNER: ___________________________________________________________
DIVERSITY Team Leader (If Applicable): ______________________________________________
NOMINATED BY: ________________________________________________________________
NOMINATOR PHONE: ____________________________________________________________
NOMINATOR EMAIL: ____________________________________________________________
Demographic Information
Formal Diversity Plan? (Y/N)
Total Minorities Women
Number of attorneys
Direct Reports to Managing Partner
Associates
2021 Law Firm Diversity Award Nomination Form Page 2Interview Questions
1. In general terms, please describe your diversity program – how is it structured? Of
what does it consist? How is it managed? What are its requirements?
Who directs the program? Title?
Composition of diversity committee
Frequency of meetings
2. Is diversity a part of your strategic plan? If so, please describe.
3. Have clients encouraged or influenced your firm to increase diversity or to assign
minority and women associates / partners to their legal matters? How has this
affected the design and implementation of your diversity program?
Business impact of encouragement from clients / corporate law departments
(selection, continuation of ongoing assignments)
How has it affected your plans?
How has your firm met the challenge?
Response to benchmark surveys from corporate law department?
Partnership with clients to improve representation of minority and women
attorneys
4. Does your diversity plan have annual objectives? What are you doing now? What
do you plan to do?
Mentoring program
Reciprocal feedback review process
Community service award
Pro bono work for diverse communities
Training on diversity issues (e.g., sexual harassment or racial discrimination)
for manager or full staff
Sponsorship / partnership / participation in or with minority bar associations
(local or national)
Work / life initiatives
2021 Law Firm Diversity Award Nomination Form Page 35. Do you have a recruitment strategy that targets women and people of color?
Number of new hires each year/ law students vs. lawyers from other firms
Participate in minority job fairs
Hiring – Recruit at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or
other schools with a high percentage of minority law students
Summer associate program – Recruit at HBCUs or other schools with high
percentages of minority law students. Follow-up with law students
Minorities on the Hiring Committee? Minority Subcommittee for hiring of
minorities and women attorneys?
Use of executive search firms? Internet job sites?
Participation in minority bar association events (both local and national)
Employee referral bonus
Financial support of minorities in minority bar association or attendance at
local and national events
6. Is diversity incorporated into the succession plan? Do you provide workshops for
minority and women attorneys to develop their skills?
Identify women and people of color ready for promotion?
Mentoring program (formal or informal?)
Reciprocal feedback process?
Review by diversity committee to ensure that career development plans are
in place for all attorneys?
Core competencies and accurate job descriptions written and expressed to
all attorneys?
Monitor attrition rates broken down demographically?
Exit interviews to identify weaknesses in the diversity program?
Provide opportunities for minorities and women to be exposed to key clients
or assignments?
Ensure that all attorneys are given consideration for cases that will yield
exposure to major clients and/or give an attorney the opportunity to gain
valuable managerial experience.
2021 Law Firm Diversity Award Nomination Form Page 47. Do you track dollars spent with minority and women owned business enterprises?
Require quarterly or bi-annual reports from accounting department?
Attend minority supplier conferences to scout minority vendors or law firms?
Partner with minority-owned law firms or businesses?
8. What, if any, method of measurement do you use to evaluate your firm’s diversity
efforts? Does management review the results?
9. Do you tie diversity results to compensation? Describe the process. What is the
result, if any, for non-attainment of established diversity goals?
10. What do you see as the challenges to the success of the program? Are there
countermeasures to address issues specific to resistance to the program or to
minority attorneys and women in general?
Location of the firm
Competitive compensation packages from other firms or in-house
departments
Reciprocal feedback accountability for managers without retribution
Internal resources to handle grievances or complaints
Training for managers (i.e., performance review)
Lack of anonymity due to small firm size
2021 Law Firm Diversity Award Nomination Form Page 5You can also read
